Apparatus for guiding a web of textile or other material



April 3, 1962 J- RUDDY ETAL 3,028,062

APPARATUS FOR GUIDINGAWEB OF TEXTILE OR OTHERMATERIAL 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 20, 1960 W M m m a m m flm m d 0 A Out 7 I R s M Q4. h b m 1 W MB. r M

April 3, 1962 J. RUDDY ETAL 3,028,062

APPARATUS FOR GUIDING A WEB OF TEXTILE OR OTHER MATERIAL 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 20, 1960 E Q Q 4 0w 8 iv E @E Av E Ow vwi Inventors ames Paddy Arag 'bald MADm-mlal y AM w flw hwy Attorneys April 3, 1962 J. RUDDY ETAL 3,028,062

APPARATUS FOR GUIDING A WEB OF TEXTILE OR OTHER MATERIAL Filed June 20, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 [nuenlors mes 4 dd Ara/7' yalol Mcflormld J 'DM A ttarneys 3,028,062 Patented Apr. 3, 1962 3,028,062 APPARATUS FOR GUIDING A WEB F TEXTILE OR OTHER MATERIAL James Ruddy and Archibald McDonald, Paisley, England, assignors to William Fulton & Sons Limited, Paisley, England Filed June 20, 1960, Ser. No. 37,282 14 Claims. (Cl. 226-49) This invention relates to apparatus for guiding a web of textile or other material in accordance with the position of an edge thereof and comprising a guide wheel which is carried so as to swivel about an axis by the operation of a double-acting pneumatic motor under the control of a controller including a feeler which engages the edge of the incoming web.

The general object of this invention is to make provision for more accurate guidance of the web, by the guide wheel.

According to the invention, the apparatus includes the combination with the pneumatic motor having a connection with a swivelling carrier for the guide wheel of another double-acting pneumatic motor which also has a connection with said carrier and is operable to impart thereto a transverse movement across the path of travel of the web, said other motor being under the control of a controller including a feeler which engages the edge of the outgoing web.

' Also according to the invention, in apparatus having a valve for controlling the flow of the compressed air or other pneumatic medium to and from the motor, the movable element of the valve is mechanically connected to and movable with the feeler. Preferably, the feeler and the movable element of the valve are made as a single unit which is pivotable about an axis.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of one example of apparatus for feeding a web of woven fabric to a stenter.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation in the direction of arrow II of FIG. 1, with some parts removed.

FIG. 3 is an elevation of an assembly including webnipping guide rollers.

FIG. 4 is a section on the line lV-IV of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a section of a double-acting pneumatic piston-and-cylinder unit.

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic view of a different example of apparatus for feeding a woven-fabric web to a stenter, with some parts removed.

FIG. 7 is a composite view of the surface of a guide roller such as incorporated in the example of FIG. 6, but showing alternative forms of the web-gripping surface.

The apparatus will be described with reference to one side of the stenter, although normally such an apparatus is provided at each side, each being complete in itself and independent of each other.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the web W of woven fabric travels longitudinally to the controlling apparatus over a take-up roller 9 and travels from the apparatus in continuation of its path to the stenter over a further take-up roller 10.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 5, the controlling apparatus includes as the means for guiding the web an assembly of two cylinderical guide rollers 11 and 12, which have horizontal axes and are situated one above the other and urged together by a spring 13 to grip the web W by nipping it between them. The apparatus also includes two controllers provided as separate but co-operating control units which respectively detect and measure any lateral displacement of the selvedge of the web W caused by deviation thereof from its right path in relation to the stenter. The apparatus also includes two separate pneumatic motors which when deviation occurs operate under the control of the control units, respectively, to swivel and/or move transversely the guide-roller assembly so as to guide the web back into its right path in alignment with the stenter.

The guide rollers 11 and 12 are carried one above the other by a carrier consisting of a U-bracket 14, both being freely rotatable. The lower roller 12 is journalled on an axle 12A rigidly projecting from the bracket 14, whereas the upper roller 11 is journalled on an 'axle 11A extending from a lever 15 hinged at 16 to the bracket. The lever 15 is pulled downwards by a tension spring 13 urging the upper roller 11 against the lower roller 12. Thus normally the rollers 11 and '12 exert a nip, or grip, on the side of the web W which passes between them. A projection 17 on the upper roller enables it to be lifted from engagement with the lower roller.

The U-bracket 14 is the inner member of a pair of brackets, being mounted for pivotal movement about a vertical axis, inside an outer U-bracket 18 which is rigidly fixed to one end 20A of a support 2% consisting of a rectangular frame. This support 20 is mounted on a stationary transverse ball-raceway (not shown), being movable to and from so as to move the guide roller assembly 11 to 18 to and fro transversely of the direction of movement of the web W. The support 20 is movable by a motor. Thus, as shown, the end 20B of the support remote from the roller assembly is fixed to the piston rod 21 of a double-acting pneumatic piston-end-cylinder unit 22, the cylinder of which is not only a component of said unit but also is a stationary fixture on the stenter frame. That is to say, the cylinder is the base structure of the apparatus in relation to which the other parts of the apparatus are relatively movable.

The apparatus includes another motor, also a doubleacting pneumatic piston and cylinder unit, indicated by 23. This unit is mounted for pivotal movement, about a vertical axis, on a bracket 24 extending from the support 20. The piston rod 25 is fixed at 26 to a cloth table 27 which is rigidly connected to the pivotal inner U-bracket 14.

In operation of the two motor units, movement of the piston rod 21 of the unit 22 will cause the support 20, brackets 14, 18, rollers 11, 12, the other unit 23 and the cloth table 27 to move as an aggregate transversely of the web W, whereas movement of the piston rod 25 of this other unit will cause movement of the cloth table 27, pivotal inner U-bracket 14 and rollers 11, 12 to swivel as an aggregate about the vertical axis of the bracket 14.

The two motor units are operated under the control of separate control units. Thus, a first control unit '19 controls the supply of compressed air to the cylinder of the unit 23, which may be regarded as the first motor. This control unit 19 is mounted on the inner bracket 14 so as to extend over the cloth table 27 at the incoming side of the rollers 11 and 12. correspondingly, a second control unit 28 controls the supply of compressed air to the cylinder of the unit 22, namely the second motor. This control unit 28 is carried by a bracket 29 adjustably mounted upon the stationary cylinder of the motor unit 22, the unit 28 being located at the outgoing side of the rollers 11 and 12. A screw 30 is provided to enable the position of the control unit 28 to be adjusted against the yielding resistance of compression springs 30A. As FIG. 1 shows, the bracket 29 has a pair of bolts 30B that are slidable through a flange 36C on the stationary cylinder of the motor unit 22, and these bolts have a bridge 3ilD through which the screw 30 is threaded. The screw presses hard against the flange 30C, between which and the bracket 29 the springs are interposed.

Both control units are similar; FIG. 4 shows details of the second control unit 28. As shown, this unit 28 includes a feeler 34 and a body of cylindrical form which is mounted on the bracket 29. The body has a block 31 with three air connections 40, 41 and 42 projecting from one side, and on the other side an arcuate face with three circular valve ports, namely a central inlet port 43 and two outer outlet ports 44 and 45, communicating respectively with the three connections. The arcuate face of the block is in effect the seat of the valve. The central connection 41 is supplied with compressed air, under pressure of say ten pounds per square inch, whereas the outer connections 4t} and 42 communicate through pipes WA and 42A with the interior of the cylinder 22 and opposite sides of the piston 33. The unit 28 also includes an element 32 which is the movable element of the valve and which co-operates with the block 31. The valve element 32 is made to have a fine working clearance in relation to the arcuate face on the block 31 containing the inlet and outlet ports 43, 44 and 45, so as to ensure the minimum leakage. The valve element is carried by a stem 38 projecting from a bar 46 which is pivotal about a vertical axis 47. The valve element 3-2 is adapted to direct the compressed air from the central inlet port 43 to the outlet ports 44 and 45.

The feeler 34 of the control unit 28 is positioned to engage the selvedge of the web W where it enters the apparatus. This feeler has a 90 bend; initially it extends horizontally from the bar 46 and finally it extends downwardly past the selvedge of the web, being biased towards the selvedge by a tension spring 48. Stops 49 and 50 on the body of the control unit limit the movement of the t urnable assembly formed by the valve element 32', the bar 46 and the feeler 34. The spring 48 is anchored to the stop 49 at one end and is connected to the bar 46 at its other end.

The exposed under-face of the block 31i.e. the surface uncovered by the valve element 32is open to the atmosphere. As shown in FIG. 4, in the mid-position of the valve element 32, the outlet ports 44 and 45 are each very slightly uncovered by it, both on the inner and outer sides of the valve element, so that there are slight equal admissions of pressure air to the outlet ports 44- and 45 and also slight equal discharges from said ports to atmosphere. That is, within the interior of the cylinder 22, the opposite sides of the piston 33 will be subjected to equal and opposite pressures. The equalised admissions and equalised discharges have the effect of stabilising the feeler 34 in its mid-position, with the opposite forces on the piston 33 in fine balance. It will be apparent that movement of the feeler 34 inwards or outwards in relation to the web W will cause pressure air to be directed from the inlet port 26 into one or the other of the outlet ports 44 and 45 or into both in a proportion determined by the amount of movement. As the valve element moves to uncover either outlet port for the supply of pressure air to the corresponding side of the piston 33, the valve uncovers the other outlet port more to atmosphere. Thus greater 'or lesser pressure is applied to one side of the piston 33 while a greater or lesser amount of the outlet port communicating with the opposite side is uncovered to atmosphere.

The first control unit 19' operates in a similar manner to control the motor unit 23, the outlet ports from this control unit leading to opposite sides of the piston of the motor unit 23. The feeler 51 of the second control unit engages the selvedge of the web prior to its reaching the rollers 11 and 12.

Both double-acting piston-and-cylinder units 22 and 23 are similar; FIG. shows details of the unit 22. In the example, as aforesaid, both units are operated by compressed air, but they may be operated by any other pneumatic fluid, i.e. any other appropriate gaseous medium. The unit shown includes a double-acting piston 33 connected to the piston rod 21 and movable to and fro in a cylinder 52. Stops 53, 54 limit the travel of the piston.

Separate pressure air supplies are provided for each of the control units 19 and 28 through pressure gauges 55 and 56 and reducing valves 57 and 58. The valve 57 passes the pressure air through the conduit 59 to the control unit 23 and the valve 58 passes the pressure arr through the conduit 60 to the unit 319.

The feeler Ell of the first control unit extends through a slot in the cloth table 27 leading from the roller 9 to the guide rollers 11, 12, whereas the feeler 34 of the second control unit extends through a slot in another cloth table 64, which is at the outgoing side of the guide rollers. Both tables are coplanar, and their surfaces are tangential to the rollers 9 and it so that the web W passes in a horizontal plane between the rollers 9 and 1t) and over the tables 27, 64.

The outgoing web passes from the roller 10 to a press on roller 65, whose function is to press the selvedge of the web on pin slips forming the stenter chain 66 at the appropriate side of the stenter.

In operation, if the incoming web W in its travel over the cloth table 27 and past the first control unit 19 deviates sidewise, the piston of the motor unit 23 will force the aggregate consisting of the cloth table 27, control unit 19, pivotal inner U-bracket 14 and rollers 11 and 2 to swivel about the vertical axis, indicated by 63, of the bracket l4- so that the rollers 11 and 12 guide the web into the correct path. If the outgoing web W travelling over the cloth table 64 and past the second control unit 28 deviates from this path after leaving the rollers, the piston of the motor unit 22, acting through the rod 21, transversely moves the support 20 and thus the outer U-bracket 18, with the inner U-bracket and rollers 11 and 12, together with the unit 23, cloth table 27 and control unit 19, the action being such that the rollers 11 and 12 guide the web into its correct path.

Adjustment of the sidewise position of the second control unit 28 by means of the screw 30 effects adjustment of the distance between the selvedge of the web and that side portion of the web through which the pins of the stenter side chain 66 protrude.

In practice, as the web W is moving through the control apparatus, the guiding motion of the rotating guide rollers 11 and 12 and the inner bracket 14 supporting them is compounded of the two guiding movements described above; that is to say, a swivelling motion about the vertical axis 63 inside the outer U-bracket 18', and a transverse movement with the outer U-braclzet and support 2%? in the direction of arrow M, FIG. 1.

As a result of the combined movements of the guide rollers, a quick correcting response is obtained, and this is especially advantageous at high cloth speeds because lags in reaction time in the control apparatus are mitigated.

The invention may be used for controlling any operation in accordance with the lateral position of a web edge.

A further embodiment of the invention which is particularly suited to the guiding of fabrics having different upper and lower surfaces, for example carpets, is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, in which parts similar to parts already described are again indicated by the same reference numbers.

Referring to FIG. 6, a single guide wheel 70 is freely rotatable in an inner U-bracket 14- which is mounted for pivotal movement in an outer U-bracket 18, which is inclined as shown. The axis of pivot is indicated by 71. Spikes 72 are provided on the surface of the wheel to grip the underside of the fabric being guided.

The first and second control units 19 and 28 together with the respective tables 27 and 64 are substantially the same as in the previous embodiment, with the exception that the'cloth tables and control units'are angled to one another, so that the incoming and outgoing stretches of the fabric lie at an angle to one another and the guide wheel is partly wrapped by the web.

The other components of the apparatus are not shown, being similar to those described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5.

FIG. 7 shows in detail a part-sectional elevation of the wheel 70 showing three different forms of fabricgripping surface. In one of these forms, the surface consisting of the spikes 72. In another form the surface consists of carding wire 73. In the third form, the wheel is covered with dimple rubber 74. Any other suitable form of surfacing material may be utilised. For example, it may be an advantage in connection with fabrics such as velvet, or with a web surface of synthetic resin, such as polyvinyl chloride, which may be sticky or incompletely dried.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for guiding to a stenter including a frame a web of longitudinally travelling textile material in accordance with the lateral position of an edge of the web, such apparatus comprising a support, a rotatable guide wheel engaged by the web, a carrier in which said guide wheel is journalled, said carrier having a swivel mounting on said support, the mounting being such that said carrier can swivel with the guide wheel about an axis perpendicular to the plane of the web, a first doubleacting pressure fluid motor consisting of relatively reciprocable cylinder and piston components interposed between said support and said carrier and being operable to swivel the carrier to-and-fro, and a first controller including a feeler which engages an edge of the web as the web comes into the apparatus and a valve actuable by said feeler to control the supply of fluid to said cylinder component for operation of said motor, in combination with a second double-acting pressure fluid motor consisting of relatively reciprocable cylinder and piston components one of which is a fixture on the stenter frame and the other of which is reciprocable, being connected to said support, this second motor being operable to move the support with said carrier to-and-fro transversely of the web, a second controller including a feeler which engages an edge of the Web as the web goes out from the apparatus, and a second valve actuable by this feeler to control the supply of fluid for operation of said second motor to the cylinder component thereof.

2. Apparatus for guiding to a stenter including a frame a web of longitudinally travelling textile material in accordance with the lateral position of an edge of the web, such apparatus comprising a support, rotatable guide means engaged by the web, a carrier for said guide means, said carrier having a swivel mounting on said support, the mounting being such that said carrier can swivel with the guide means about an axis, a first pressure fluid motor consisting of relatively repicrocable cylinder and piston components interposed between said support and said carrier and being operable to swivel the carrier toand-fro, and a first controller including a feeler which engages an edge of the web and a valve actuable by said feeler to control the supply of fluid to said cylinder component for operation of said motor, in combination with a second pressure fluid motor consisting of relatively reciprocable cylinder and piston components one of which is a fixture on the stenter frame and the other of which is reciprocable, being connected to said support, this second motor being operable to move the support with said carrier to-and-fro transversely of the web, a second controller including a feeler which engages an edge of the web and a second valve actuable by this feeler to control the supply of fluid for operation of said second motor to the cylinder component thereof.

3. Apparatus for guiding a web of longitudinally travelling textile or other material in accordance with the lateral position of an edge of the web, such apparatus comprising a fixture, a support thereon, a rotatable guide wheel engaged by the web, a carrier in which said guide wheel is journalled, said carrier having a swivel mounting on said support, the mounting being such that said carrier can swivel with the guide wheel about an axis perpendicular to the plane of the web, a first double-acting pressure fluid motor interposed between said support and said carrier and being operable to swivel the carrier toand-fro, and a first controller including a feeler which engages an edge of the web and a valve actuable by said feeler to control the supply of fluid for operation of said motor, in combination with a second double-acting pressure fluid motor interposed between said fixture and said support and operable to move the support with said carrier to-and-fro transversely of the web, a second controller including a feeler which engages an edge of the web and a second valve actuable by this feeler to control the supply of fluid for operation of said second motor.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which a table to receive the web is provided as an extension on the swivelling carrier and one component of the first motor is pivotally connected to said to-and-fro movable support whereas the other component of the first motor is pivotally connected to said table.

5. Apparatus according .to claim 3 in which a table to receive the web is provided as an extension on the swivelling carrier and the first motor is pivotally connected to said to-and-fro movable support and to said table.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the second controller is stationarily mounted in association with that component of the second motor which is a fixture whereas the first controller is mounted on the swivelling carrier so as to swivel therewith.

7. Apparatus according to claim 2 in which the second controller is stationarily mounted in association with that component of the second motor which is a fixture whereas the first controller is mounted on the swivelling carrier so as to swivel therewith.

8. Apparatus according to claim 3 in which the second controller is stationarily mounted on the said fixture whereasthe first controller is mounted on the swivelling carrier so as to swivel therewith.

9. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which a table to receive the web as it travels into the apparatus is mounted on the swivelling carrier and a table for the outgoing web is mounted on the reciprocable component of the second motor.

10. Apparatus for guiding a web of longitudinally travelling textile or other material in accordance with the lateral position of an edge of the web, such apparatus comprising a fixture, a support thereon, guide means engaged by the web, an inner bracket by which said guide means is carried, a table located at a level to receive the incoming web and connected with said inner bracket, an outer bracket which is carried by said support and in which the inner bracket has a swivel mounting such that said inner bracket can swivel with the guide means and web-receiving table as a unitary assembly about an axis perpendicular to the plane of the web, a first double-acting pressure fluid motor interposed between said support and said unitary assembly and being operable to swivel the unitary assembly to-and-fro, and a first controller including a feeler which engages an edge of the web and a valve actuable by said feeler to control the supply of fluid for operation of said motor, in combination with a second double-acting pressure fluid motor interposed between said fixture and said support and operable to move the support with said outer bracket to-and-fro transversely of the web, a second controller including a feeler which engages an edge of the web and a second valve actuable by this feeler to control the supply of fluid for operation of said second motor.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10 in which the guide means comprise a pair of rollers and spring means acting to form a nip between said rollers, said rollers being '7 so located in the inner bracket that the nip between them lies in the plane of the web-receiving table.

12. Apparatus according to claim 10 in which the guide means comprise a single roller presenting a web-engaging surface to which the plane of the Web-receiving table is tangential.

13. In apparatus for guiding to a stenter including a frame a web of longitudinally travelling textile material in accordance with the lateral position of an edge of the Web, such apparatus comprising a support, rotatable guide means engaged by the web, a carrier for said guide means, said carrier having a swivel mounting on said support, the mounting being such that said carrier can swivel with the guide means about an axis, a first air motor consisting of relatively reciprocable cylinder and piston components interposed between said support and said carrier and being operable to swivel the carrier to-and-fro, a first controller including a feeler which engages an edge of the web, a second air motor consisting of relatively reciprocable cylinder and piston components one of which is a fixture on the stenter frame and the other of which is reciprocable, being connected to said support, this second motor being operable to move the support with said carrier to-and-fro transversely of the web, and a second controller including a feeler which engages an edge of the web, in combination with first and second valves for the respective first and second air motors, each of said valves comprising a movable element which is connected to and movable by the feeler of its air motor, a ported element having an inlet port connected to a source of compressed air and spaced outlet ports connected by conduits to opposite sides of the respective air motor for the fiow of air to and from said motor, and the movable element is movable to both sides alternatively of a mid-position in which the movable element opens a restricted exhaust passage through each of said outlet ports simultaneously to atmosphere.

14. In an apparatus for guiding a web of longitudinally travelling textile or other material in accordance with the lateral position of an edge of the web, such apparatus comprising a rotatable guide wheel engaged by the Web, a carrier in which said guide wheel is journalled, a doubleacting air motor connected to said carrier and being operable to swivel the carrier with the guide wheel to-andfro and a feeler which engages an edge of the web, the combination of a valve to control the flow of air to and from said motor, said valve comprising a movable element which is mechanically connected to and movable by said feeler, a ported element having an inlet port connected to a source of compressed air and spaced outlet ports connected by conduits to opposite sides of the air motor for the flow of air to and from said motor, and the movable element is movable to both sides alternatively of a mid-position in which the movable element opens a restricted exhaust passage through each of said outlet ports simultaneously to atmosphere.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 499,072 Whittles June 6, 1893 1,615,415 Tandel Jan. 25, 1927 1,691,772 Maas Nov. 13, 1928 

